The present invention relates to earlobe piercing devices such as are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,187,751 and German Pat. No. 95,452.
The German patent discloses an earlobe piercer which has a pair of linearly movable jaws with an earlobe piercing needle fixedly mounted to one of the jaws so that the needle pierces the earlobe when the jaws are moved towards each other. It further discloses a device for inserting an earring while the needle is withdrawn from the earlobe.
The referenced U.S. patent discloses an hand-held instrument which has opposed jaws that are movable towards and away from each other with a pair of handles pivotally connected to the jaws. The earlobe to be pierced is placed between the jaws. One of the jaws is provided with means for receiving a pointed stud and driving it through the earlobe while the latter is clamped between the jaws. The other of the two jaws has means for receiving the ends of the stud which passes through the lobe. The device is constructed so that the instrument is readily removed after the earlobe has been pierced by simply moving the device in a direction perpendicular to the stud axis and downwardly away from the lobe.
Prior art earlobe piercers of the type discussed above has several drawbacks, one of the more important ones being the fact that an operator requires both hands to properly use them. In the discussed U.S. patent, the piercing stud is driven through the earlobe by a spring actuated plunger. In order to retract the plunger and compress the spring the operator must hold the piercer with one hand and pull on the plunger with his other hand. Moreover, to secure the stud to the earlobe it is necessary to slip a nut or clip over one end of the stud. In accordance with the U.S. patent this operation must be manually performed after withdrawal of the piercing device. This is cumbersome and subjects the patient's earlobe to painful manipulation. Moreover, there is a real danger of contamination and possible subsequent infection of the just pierced earlobe when touched by the operator's fingers.
The device disclosed in the German patent is generally unsatisfactory since it employed a permanent piercing needle which becomes contaminated, which is difficult to cleanse and maintain sterile, and which is slowly forced through the earlobe, thereby causing the person substantial and unnecessary pain and suffering. Additionally, it requires the withdrawal of the needle from the earlobe and its replacement by a permanent earring which causes the patient still further discomfort and which is an additional source for contamination which can lead to infection.
Furthermore, prior art earlobe piercing devices of the type discussed had no provision for adjusting the extent to which the jaws could be moved towards each other. As a result, earlobes being pierced could be pinched or remain loose, depending on their thickness. In either case, this could be painful.